Palestine Action activist on hunger strike taken to hospital as campaigners criticise ‘negligent’ treatment
Campaigners have condemned the “deliberately negligent” treatment meted out to a detained Palestine Action activist, who refused to eat for 50 days, as he was taken to hospital.
Amu Gib is part of a group of Palestine Action activists who have been on hunger strike for months and are awaiting trial over allegations of trespass or criminal damage.
Gib is imprisoned at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey and is accused of breaking into RAF Brize Norton and spray painting two RAF Voyager aircraft in support of Palestine Action.
But campaigners criticized the prison and the Government’s handling of the situation, stressing that ignoring this hunger strike was “completely unacceptable” and warning that the hunger strikers would die if not intervened.
Palestinian prisoners said Gib’s health had “rapidly deteriorated” since November 2, when he joined the hunger strike, and that the activist had been hospitalized and now had to use a wheelchair.
The campaign group said the prison “initially refused” Gib access to a wheelchair, resulting in them missing a doctor’s appointment and giving Gib the vitamin thiamine withholding it “for days”.
Gib was given a wheelchair on Friday and taken to hospital on Saturday.
This statement was made by Dr., an emergency physician and lecturer at University College London. It comes after James Smith said the group needed specialist medical help because they were “dying”.
Palestinian Prisoners said, “At this rate, hunger strikers will die unless there is urgent intervention from the government. Acting as if there is no hunger strike or ignoring the demands of the prisoners is absolutely unacceptable and deliberate negligence.”
“They are under the supervision of the State and any harm that may occur to them is a deliberate consequence of the Government’s negligence and the politicization of detentions,” the statement said.
A loved one of Gib said they had not received any information since 10am on Friday and had been “left in the dark”.
They said: “We don’t know if Amu is in a coma or having a heart attack. I am the next of kin and Amu’s medical records indicate that I will be contacted if they are hospitalised.”
“But for 57 hours there was complete agonizing silence. I am outraged and outraged that the prison did not give thiamine to the hunger strikers, otherwise they would be at high risk of brain damage.”
Last week Mr Corbyn wrote on Instagram that he had visited Gib in prison and called for them to be released on bail.
A total of 7 detainees have been hospitalized since the hunger strike began on November 2.
According to a statement from Prisoners for Palestine, activists Jon Cink and Umar Khalid ended their 38-day and 12-day hunger strikes for health reasons in early December; both were hospitalized and later discharged back to prison.
HMP Pentonville prisoner Kamran Ahmed, who refused to eat for 42 days, said it would be “worthwhile” to die for his cause in a phone call from his cell on Friday. Sunday Times.
Ahmed, 28, from London, is accused of wielding sledgehammers and causing £1 million of damage at the UK facility of an Israel-based defense firm near Patchway, Bristol, in August 2024.
He told The Sunday Times: “I fear every day that I could potentially die.
“I get chest pains on a regular basis… There have been times when I’ve felt energized – my body will shake or tremble. I’ll basically lose control of my emotions.”
“I’ve been afraid since the seventh day when my blood sugar dropped. The nurse said: ‘I’m afraid you won’t wake up. Please eat something.’
“But I’m looking at the bigger picture, maybe we can ease the pressure abroad and ease the situations of other defendants… Yes, I’m afraid of dying. Yes, it could have lifelong consequences. But I’m looking at risk versus reward. I see that as valuable.”
Nearly 900 health experts have written to Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, senior NHS officials and senior prison officials to call for action to get medical help.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously said “rules and procedures” were being followed after facing questions in the House of Commons about why his ministers refused to meet representatives of the strikers.
Prisons minister Lord Timpson has previously said the force is “very experienced” in dealing with hunger strikes, has “robust and working” systems and that the Prisons Service “will not interview” any prisoners or their representatives.
